The present invention relates to a collapsible enclosure (e.g., pet enclosure).
Pet or animal enclosures are commonly used to accommodate, confine or transport pets or animals. Currently, prior art pet enclosures are fabricated from a wire frame wherein the various panels are hinged to each other by way of Hartco clips. Hartco clips are wrapped around adjacent wires of adjacent panels so as to form a loop around the adjacent wires. The adjacent panels can pivot or rotate with respect to each other due to the space provided in the enclosed loop. Unfortunately, the wires of the adjacent panels may bind within the loop (i.e., Hartco clip) when being rotated with respect to each other. The wires contact each other within the Hartco clip and are inadvertently wedged between the wires and the loop. Accordingly, the Hartco clips provide space for the adjacent wires but do not ensure that the adjacent wires will not bind against each other. When the wires bind against each other in the Hartco clip, the adjacent panels cannot be stacked upon each other.
An additional problem with prior art pet enclosures is that they are noisy during transportation. By way of example and not limitation, as the pet enclosure is transported in a car over a road or in a train over railway, the Hartco clips vibrate against the wires of the panels of the enclosure and also allow adjacent wires to vibrate against each other. The vibration contact produces undesirable noise.
Accordingly, there is a need in the art for an improved animal or pet enclosure.